“Seek peace and pursue it” Psalms 34:12, a verse that Ron Lyons embraces. In an era of negativity and pessimism, it is easy to get caught up in the bad, rather than the good. Ron Lyons is no different than others who have experienced this, and he recognized it was time for a positive change.
Ron Lyons has always been involved with real estate, whether watching his mother as a thriving broker in the Dallas area, or as an agent himself in his early adulthood. And while he enjoyed the business, he felt like he needed to serve people more.
This led him to law enforcement, the greatest way to serve, in Celina in 1993 then with a population of 1700 people. Ron worked for the Celina Police Department for three years before moving on to other law enforcement agencies.
Shortly thereafter, on a standard police call, he realized it was time for another change...his weight. Ron found he was unable to keep up with the physical demands of the job and needed to lose weight. And did he! Ron became a local media darling as the “cop that lost so much weight.” As such, Ron made another career change this time training police officers in physical fitness. He owned gyms in Frisco, Prosper, and McKinney.
Unfortunately, an accident sidelined Ron and his fitness career. He felt called to go back into real estate, but with a difference. In addition to helping people find their dream home, Ron helps clients buy the right home at the right price within their means. “My goal is the bigger picture, not just getting people the home they want, but also the long-term goal of making the right purchases by creating an investment as well.”
It was during this time Ron met his wife, Crystal. Together, they’ve worked to create a new venture, Project Celina. Project Celina invests heavily in real estate projects, mostly in the downtown area. The goal is to revitalize downtown by turning dilapidated buildings into newer, more beautiful versions. “Crystal and I will spend hours pulling up carpet or tearing down sheetrock,” says Ron. They have found some treasures like rare Chicago brick or marble fireplaces.
The couple has future plans for these older buildings and houses. They will renovate them to be used as restaurants, wedding venues, office buildings, Airbnbs plus bed and breakfasts. Ron tries to “stay as local as much as we can,” he says. “We utilize Celina trades and contractors whenever possible,” Ron continues. It’s another way the Lyons impact Celina positively.
Ron says, “I love Celina. I started here thirty years ago as a police officer. I believe in the vision of Celina. We want Celina to be amazing and that’s why we started Project Celina.” They have about fifteen projects currently. Look for the pink front door, their trademark color--positive, happy.
But that’s not enough for Ron. He wanted to share stories about people in the community, so he created Celina Radio. His popular shows are unique, not typical podcasts, and entertaining. Ron says, “It is sometimes completely unexpected. It can be super serious but also hilarious too.” Ron also created “The Best of Celina” social media accounts. As simple as it seems, these accounts have become immensely popular as a positive alternative for social media users. He ensures the site is constructive, even on tough topics. Its popularity has helped it to grow to almost 10,000 followers in six months.
Ron, Crystal, and their daughter, Reese, enjoy life in Celina. The couple will continue to focus on Project Celina real estate projects, tell the stories of Celina leaders on Celina Radio, and of course, promote the good on The Best of Celina. When asked if he would consider running for office in Celina, he replied, “I’m certainly not ruling that out at this time.” But for now, he has chosen to be optimistic, as it really does feel better for the community and for us all.
Ron Lyons, Realtor 214.783.5440
restoring Historic Celina Homes at Facebook.com/Groups/CelinaRealEstate
"Look for the pink front door, their trademark color--positive, happy."
